Fastener forming and inserting machine



7 Sept. 15, 1942. c, JAMES msmmn FORMING AND INSERTING-MACHINE "3 Sheets-Sheet l med Oct. 5, 1940 P 1942- I c. H. JANIIES 2,295,662

FASTENER FORMING AND INSERTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1 940 a Sheets-Sheet? Sept. 15, 1942. I c, H, JAMES FASTENERVFORMING AND INSERTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 FASTENER FORMING AND INSERTING MACHINE Cyril Harry James, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,922 In Great Britain October 24, 1939 9 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for forming and inserting fasteners and is illustrated as embodied in a machine adapted to attach soles to shoes.

By way of example, one convenient form of device provided by the above invention and illustrative thereof will be hereinafter described as embodied in a fastener forming and inserting machine of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 910,147, granted J anuary 19, 1909, on an application filed in the name of Frederick H. Perry, but modified in certain respects to form wire fasteners each having beveled or inclined ends so as to provide a point or tip at each end of the fastener and at opposite sides thereof, and to drive the fastener so as to clench the opposite ends of the fastener into the work as it is being driven.

When the modified machine is adapted to insert fasteners such as above described, it has been found that said fasteners are delivered to a throat of the machine with their inclined end faces disposed at approximately 45 to the edge of the work piece into which they are being driven, and

the lower points when they are clenched by their it is desirable that the fasteners before they are driven shall be rotated in the passage of the throat of the machine to predetermined positions so that the clenched ends of the driven fasteners shall extend parallel to the edge of the sole.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for forming fasteners each having inclined ends, and for driving and clenching said fasteners into shoe parts in such a manner that the clenched ends of thefasteners shall be approximately parallel to adjacent edges of the shoe parts.

With the above object in view and in accordance with a feature of the present invention, there is provided in a machine for inserting fasteners, a throat provided with a driver passage for receiving a fastener having an inclined lower end, a latch having an abutment surface constructed and arranged to be engaged by said lower end of the fastener in order to rotate the fastener to a predetermined position in said pas- 55 sage preparatory to driving the fastener, and means for driving the fastener, the latch being movable under pressure of the fastener being driven to a predetermined stop position in which said abutment surface of the latch is approximately continuous'with adjacent portions of the passage and constitutes a rigid portion of said passage for guiding the fastener.

The illustrative machine comprises a stationary quill having a passage through which the lower end of a strip of wire is fed step by step by an oscillating feed member. When the machine is idle, a passage in a tube which is secured to .a carrier plate registers with the passage in the quill, the feed member, during each cycle of operation of the machine, forcing the wire through the passage in the quill and into the passage in the tube. The quill and the tube are provided with laterally curved faces which are in engagement with each other and which are inclined at about 20 to the length of the wire in the passage of the tube and are centered about the axis of a fulcrum pin about which the carrier plate is oscillated, portions of the above mechanism being similar to corresponding portions of the machine disclosed in said Patent No. 910,147.

After the lower end of the wire strip has been moved into the passage in the tube, the carrier to which the tube is secured is swung about said fulcrum pin causing the wire strip to be sheared between the quill and the tube thereby forming a fastener, the upper end of which is sheared off by a cut extending at about 20 to the length of the wire. It will be appreciated that the lower end of the wire will already have been sheared off at about 20 to the length of the wire at the time the previous fastener was severed from the wire and that the points on the fastener will be located at opposite sides of the fastener, the inclined ends of the wire being parallel to each other.

After forming the fastener the carrier plate continues toswing in the same direction about its fulcrum pin until the driver passage in the tube registers with the driver passage in the throat and a driver passage in the quill at which time the fastener falls into the passage in the throat.

In order to rotate the fastener 45 in the passage of the throat preparatory to driving the fastener, so that the inclined end faces of the fastener shall extend approximately forwardly and rearwardly of the machine, there is pivoted to the throat the above-mentioned latch, an abutment surface of which is normally held by a spring in its fastener-orienting position across the driver passage of the throat at approximately 20 to the length of the said passage. When the fastener is delivered to the driver passage of the throat, it is rotated about 45 until the inclined lower end of the fastener engages the abutment surface of said latch, thereby so positioning the fastener that when it is driven, for example, into the sole of a shoe fed past the machine, the clenched ends of the fastener at the inside of the shoe as well as the outside of the shoe, will extend approximately parallel to the edge of the sole, thereby avoiding any likelihood of the clenched lower ends of the fasteners at the inside of the shoe projecting into the shoe upper.

The various features of the invention will be understood and appreciated from the following detailed description read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views, partly broken away and partly in section, showing the illustrative machine during two different stages of its operation;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a stationary quill and a movable tube of the illustrative machine, the tube being in its loading position in which a passage formed therein receives a wire strip, preparatory to moving the tube to form a fastener from said strip;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows the quill and the tube illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 as viewed from line V-V of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a throat of th illustrative machine;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show in central vertical section the throat illustrated in Fig. 6 during three progressive stages, respectively, of the operation of the machine;

Fig. 10 shows a section on line XX of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in section, of a shoe the sole of which has been attached by the use of the illustrative machine.

The illustrative machine is of the general type disclosed in said Letters Patent 910,147 and is described with reference to forming fasteners (Figs. '7, 8, 9 and 11) having wedge-shaped end portions 22 (Fig. 7), and driving said fasteners into the bottom of a shoe 24 (Fig. 11) to attach an outsole 26 to the shoe.

During each cycle of operation of the machine a strip of wire 28 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is fed through a passage 30 of a quill 32 which is secured to the machine frame 34. and into a driver passage 36 of a tube 38 which is secured to a carrier plate 40. Formed at the lower end of the quill 32 and the upper end of the tube 38 are faces 42, 44 (Fig. 5) respectively, which are constantly in engagement with each other and are disposed at approximately 20 to the passages 30, 36. Instead of having a separate angular knife (not shown) and a chip remover (not shown) for cutting the wire, as disclosed in said Letters Patent 910,147, the lower end of the strip of wire 28 which has been moved into the passage 36 of the tube 38 is severed on a 20 angle to the length of the wire, between the overlapping shear faces 42, 44 of the quill 32 and the tube 38, respectively, when said tube 38, together with the carrier plate 40, is swung in a clockwise direction 46 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) about a fulcrum pin 48 secured to the main frame 34,

from its wire receiving position shown in Figs. 1,

3 and 4, in which the passage 36 of the tube 33 is in alinement with the wire passage 30 of the quill 32, to its fastener guiding position shown in Fig. 2, in which said passage 36 is in alinement with a driver passage 56 of the quill 32. It will be noted that the shear faces 42, 44 of the quill 32 and tube 38, respectively, are curved about the axis of the fulcrum vpin 48, the face 42 being slightly conical and the face 44 being complemental thereto. Since the lateral convexity and concavity of the faces 42, 44 respectively are almost negligible, said faces for all practical purposes may be considered to be flat. In order to insure that the tube 36 shall not spring away from the quill 32 as the wire is being sheared, the quill, if desirable, may have a flange 52 (Figs. 3 and 5) the inner face 54 (Fig. 5) of which is shaped and arranged to be at all times in engagement with the tube 36.

The mechanism for swinging the carrier plate 46 about the axis of the fulcrum pin 48 from its starting position shown in Fig. 1 to its position shown in Fig. 2 and back again to its starting position, is fully disclosed in said Letters Patent 910,147 which may be referred to for a detailed description of the construction and operation of the machine. It will be understood that a lower end or end face 56 (Fig. 7) of the fastener 20, which end is inclined at an acute angle to the axis of the fastener and may be referred to as an inclined lower end, was formed at the time that the previous fastener was severed from the wire. An upper end or end face 58 (Figs. 8 and 9) of the fastener 20 is practically similar to the lower end 56 of the fastener and points or tips 60 (Fig. 7) of the fastener are arranged at opposite sides of the fastener, said inclined ends 56 and 58, which may be considered as flat, being approximately parallel. The lower wedge-shaped end portion 22 of the fastener may be described as being bounded by the periphery and the inclined end 56 of the fastener.

As above stated, after the fastener 23 has been severed from the wire strip 28, continued movement of the carrier plate 46 in the direction 46 moves the tube 38 until its passage 36 containing the severed fastener is in alinement with the driver passage 56 in the quill 32 and also in alinement with a driver passage 62 in a throat 64 which is secured to the machine frame 34, the fastener being driven through said passage 62 into the work by a driver 66 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9) which reciprocate vertically in timed relation with the other operative parts of the machine.

The shoe 24, supported upon a horn 68 (Figs. 1 and 2) having a concave upper face, is fed past the throat 64 with its outsole 25 in engagement with a gauge 76, by a feed member 72 having its lower end positioned in a slot 74 formed in the throat. The feed lever 72 is provided with one or more prongs l6 and has imparted to it a four-way motion, the arrangement being such that, after the fastener has been driven and the horn has been lowered slightly from its raised operative position to release the shoe, the prongs then in contact with the sole of the shoe move the shoe from right to left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 to feed the shoe to a suitable position to receive the next fastener.

Because of the location of the pivot pin 48 about which the carrier plate 46 and the tube 38 are swung, the cuts forming the inclined ends 56, 58 of the fastener are disposed at an angle 73 (Fig. 7) of about to the direction of the feed of the work, the fastener entering the passage 62 of the throat 64 in the relation shown in Fig, 7. Should the fastener 28 be driven through a throat having no provision for rotating or orienting said fastener to a predetermined angular position in the throat before being driven, it will be appreciated that as the sharp lower tip of the fastener is clenched into the insole of the shoe which is having an outsole attached, said tip will have a tendency to travel toward the edge of the sole. Accordingly when such fastener is inserted in the shoe close to the shoe upper, the lower tip of the fastener is likely to project into said upper and thus spoil the shoe.

In order to insure that the clenched end portions of the driven fasteners 28 shall extend approximately parallel to the edge of the sole 26 of the shoe 24 as shown in Fig. 11, thereby avoiding any likelihood of the sharp lower tips 88 of the fasteners penetrating the shoe upper, as

above described, the throat 64, into which the fasteners fall from the passage 36 of the tube 38 preparatory to moving the driver 58 through the passages 38, 82 in the tube 38 and the throat 64, respectively, to drive the fastener into the shoe, is provided with a latch 89 which is pivoted upon a fulcrum pin 82 secured to the throat and fits in a slot or recess 84 communicating with and extending through a wall of the passage 82. The latch 88 is a little thinner than the diameter of the driver passage 62 and a portion 86 (Figs. '7 and 8) of the lower end of the latch is normally held against a portion of the wall of the passage arranged opposite the slot, by a spring 88 which embrace the opposite ends of a pin 98 secured to the latch, and passes around the throat as best shown in Fig. 6. The portion of the latch 88 projecting into the driver passage 62 has a face or abutment surface 92 (Figs. 7, 8 and 9), the widthwise elements of which are arranged forwardly and rearwardly of the machine, that is, at approximately right angles to the direction of feed of the shoe.

As the fastener 28 falls from the passage 35 in the tube 38 and into the passage 62 of the throat 64, the lower inclined end 56 of the fastener engages the abutment surface 92 of the latch 88 and the fastener is thereby turned about its axis to the position shown in Fig. 8, the arrangement being such that when the fastener is driven into the shoe, the clenched end portions at the inside of the shoe will lie approximately parallel to the edge of the sole 26 of the shoe. Should the fastener 28 not be turned as above described, when it falls of its own weight into the passage 82 of the throat 84, said fastener will later be turned in the passage by pressure of the driver 65 as said driver pushes the fastener downwardly past the latch 88 and into the work. It will be appreciated that, if desirable, the horn 88 may be so shifted that the lower wedge-shaped end portion 22 of the fastener 28 is driven in an opposite direction from that above disclosed, in which event the end of the fastener clenched into the insole would extend parallel to the edge of the sole.

As the fastener 28 is moved downwardly past the latch 88 by the driver 66- the latch is swung in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the spring 88 causing the lower end of the latch constantly to press against the fastener, thereby preventing the same from turning as it is being moved past the latch and into the work. The latch 88 has a face 94 which, when the driver 66 engages the abutment surface 92 of the latch and swings said latch about the pin 82, engages a stop or face 96 of the throat. When the faces 94 and 96 are in engagement, the abutment surface 92 of the latch 28 forms a portion of the driver passage 62 and prevents the upper portion of the fastener from being bent outwardly as the lower portion of the fastener is being driven into the work.

It will be noted that the recess 84 is just large enough to allow the lower end of the latch 88 to project across the driver passage 62 and that when the fastener is being driven into the work the recess is closed by the latch and accordingly a substantially unbroken driver passage is provided.

It will be understood that the illustrated machine, with slightly modified edge gauges has various uses such, for example, as driving wire resisting protectors and attaching top lifts to heels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A machine for driving fasteners into shoe parts, comprising a throat provided with a passage for receiving a fastener having an inclined lower end, a latch having an abutment surface constructed and arranged to be engaged by said lower end of the fastener in order to rotate the fastener to a predetermined position in said passage preparatory to driving the fastener, and means for driving the fastener, said latch being movable, under pressure of the fastener being driven, to a predetermined stop position in which said abutment surface of the latch is approximately continuous with adjacent portions of the passage and constitutes a rigid portion of said passage for guiding the fastener.

2. A machine for inserting fasteners, comprising a throat having a driver passage, means for delivering to said passage a fastener having an inclined lower end, a latch movable into said passage and having an abutment surface constructed and arranged to be engaged by said inclined lower end of the fastener so as to rotate the fastener in the passage to a predetermined position, a driver, and means for operating the driver to force the fastener into a work piece, said latch being movable, under pressure of the fastener being driven, to a predetermined position in which a portion of said abutment surface of the latch is substantially continuous with adjacent portions of walls of the passage and serves as a rigid part of said passage.

3. A fastener inserting machine having, in combination, means for supporting a work piece, a threat provided with a driver passage and having a recess communicating with said passage, means for delivering to said throat a fastener having a wedge-shaped lower portion which is bounded by the periphery and an inclined lower end of the fastener, a latch arranged in said recess and having a face, said latch being movable into one predetermined position to cause said face to extend diagonally across said passage so as to be engaged by the inclined lower end of the fastener in order to rotate said fastener to a predetermined position in said passage preparatory to driving the fastener, said latch also being movable to another predetermined position to cause said face to form a rigid portion of said passage, and a driver for forcing the positioned fastener through the passage of said throat and into said work piece.

4. A fastener inserting machine comprising a throat provided with a driver passage for receiving a cylindrical fastener having an inclined lower end, a latch having an abutment surface, resilient means for moving the abutment surface of the latch to an inclined position across said passage, said surface in said inclined position being adapted axially to rotate the fastener in said passage to a predetermined position, a driver, and means for operating the driver to force the fastener into a work piece, said latch being constructed and arranged to be moved out of said passage by the fastener being driven, and means for stopping movement of the latch out of the passage when said abutment surface is in alinement with a portion of the wall of said passage.

5. A fastener inserting machine comprising a throat provided with a driver passage and having a slot extending through a wall of said passage, a latch fitting in said slot and pivoted to the throat, said latch having an abutment surface, a spring for constantly urging the latch against a wall portion of the passage which is arranged opposite said slot, with said abutment surface extending diagonally across said passage, and a stop for limiting movement of said latch away from said opposite wall portion of the passage when said abutment surface is in alinementwith portions of the wall which are located adjacent to the slot.

6. A fastener inserting machine comprising a throat provided with a driver passage and having a slot which communicates with and extends lengthwise of said passage, a latch having an abutment surface, said latch being pivoted to the throat and fitting in said slot, a spring for constantly forcing the latch into the passage of the throat with said abutment surface extending in a fastener orienting position diagonally across said passage, the abutment surface in said position being adapted to be engaged by an inclined lower end of a fastener delivered to said passage and to rotate the fastener to a predetermined position in said passage, a driver, means for operating the driver, said latch being adapted to be swung out of said passage under the pressure of the fastener, and a stop for limiting movement of the latch against the action of the spring when a median portion of said abutment surface of the latch is in alinement with adjacent portions of a wall of the passage, said abutment surface serving during a portion of the fastener driver operation as a rigid part of the driver passage.

7. A fastener forming and inserting machine having, in combination, a quill and a tube each having a passage, means for feeding a continuous strip of wire through the passage of the quill and into the passage of the tube, said quill and said tube having contacting end faces respectively which intersect and are inclined at acute angles to the respective passages, a throat having a passage, means for moving the tube with relation to the quill to cause a wire fastener having an inclined lower end to be sheared from the wire strip and then to cause the fastener to be delivered to the passage of said throat, a latch movable to an orienting position in which it extends across the passage of the throat so as to be engaged by the inclined lower end of the fastener thereby causing said fastener to be rotated to a predetermined position in said passage, and means for operating the driver to cause the fastener to be driven into a work piece, said latch being constructed and arranged to be moved out of the passage of the throat under pressure of the fastener while it is being driven.

8. A fastener forming and inserting machine having, in combination, a throat having a passage, means comprising a quill and a tube which are relatively movable and are constructed and arranged to form from a strip of wire a fastener having an inclined lower end, means for relatively moving the tube and the throat to cause the fastener to be delivered to the passage of the throat, a latch pivoted to the throat, resilient means for causing an abutment surf-ace of the latch to be disposed across the passage of the throat so as to be engaged by said inclined lower end of the fastener thereby rotating said fastener to a predetermined position in the passage preparatory to driving the fastener, a driver, and means for operating the driver to drive and clench the fastener into a work piece, said latch being constructed and arranged to be swung to a retracted position out of the passage of the throat against the action of the spring by the fastener as it is being driven, said abutment surface of the latch in its retracted position serving as a portion of the wall of said passage.

9. A fastener forming and inserting machine having, in combination, a quill and a tube each having a passage, means for feeding a continuous strip of wire through the passage of the quill and into the passage of the tube, said quill and said tube having contacting faces respectively which are positively held against each other and which intersect and are inclined at acute angles to the respective passages, a throat having a passage, means for moving the tube with relation to the quill first to cause a fastener to be sheared from the wire by the shearing action of the tube and the quill and then to cause the passage of the tube to be alined with the passage of the throat to deliver the fastener to the passage of the throat, and means for operating the driver to cause the fastener to be driven through the throat and into a work piece.

CYRIL HARRY JAMES. 

